In 2017, voters in Denver approved the so-called "Green Roofs" initiative, which called for buildings over 25,000 ft. sq. to dedicate a certain portion (between 20% and 60% depending on building size) of the rooftop to green space. However, just yesterday the Denver City Council unanimously voted to repeal and replace the green roof requirement with a more business-friendly "cool roof" requirement. This new measure requires buildings over 25,000 ft. sq. (both new buildings and those existing that replace roofs) to have light-colored, reflective rooftops. Developers and building owners will also have to incorporate other environmentally friendly options such as installing green space, funding green space development elsewhere, meeting green design standards or installing renewable energy systems. The City determined that the original measure would have added nearly 3% to the cost of a five-story office building, but notes that the new version will cut that increase in half.
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